From the Capitol: Right-to-Know Law, PHEAA, Old Home Week, energy tips, transportation and veterans

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Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA

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Posted Jul. 30, 2013 at 3:30 PM

Posted Jul. 30, 2013 at 3:30 PM

Harrisburg, Pa.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

— Members of the House State Government Committee recently held a public hearing on several bills aimed at updating the state’s Right-to-Know Law, according to state Rep. Todd Rock, a Republican who represents Franklin County. Those testifying at the hearing included representatives from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

The Right-to-Know Law governs access to public information for each state agency, local agency, judicial agency and legislative agency.

In the last decade, lawmakers have made it a priority to work to enhance government openness and transparency, Rock said

— The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is launching a pilot program to extend state grant benefits to the growing number of students pursuing college degrees online.

The pilot program is a step toward modernizing the Pennsylvania State Grant program to better serve the needs of students as the grant program is currently only available to students who earn 50 percent or fewer of their college credits online, Rock said. Under the pilot program, students earning up to 100 percent of their credits online may qualify for grant assistance. Applications are due by mid-September.

— The 38th triennial celebration of Old Home Week will take place in Greencastle from Aug. 3 to 10. Rock will march in the parade and be a judge for the fun dog show.

“Feel free to stop by to say ‘hi’ and enjoy many of the wonderful events and great food that will be present,” Rock said.

Pennsylvania Senate

State Sen. Richard Alloway II, a Republican who represents Franklin County, is urging local residents to learn more about money-saving energy tips from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

DEP offers a number of helpful tips to reduce energy costs, such as checking filters on air conditioners and heat pumps, ensuring doors and windows are properly sealed and installing energy-efficient compact florescent light bulbs.

The website also includes tools to calculate savings, how-to guides on home improvement projects to reduce energy use and other useful information to reduce utility bills throughout the year.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us

U.S. Senate

— On Thursday, Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania, offered an amendment to send the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill back to the Appropriations Committee and to require the committee to cut back on the amount the bill spends. As it is currently drafted, the bill increases spending by 10 percent from the previous year (even more than the Obama administration has requested), which violates the Budget Control Act, according to Toomey.

Page 2 of 2 - — Last week, the Senate Veterans Affairs committee approved a bill by Pennsylvania Sens. Toomey and Bob Casey, a Democrat, to rename the Woodland Avenue VA medical center in Philadelphia after Corp. Michael Crescenz, the only Philadelphian to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. On Nov. 20, 1968, Crescenz left his own relatively safe position, seized a machine gun and charged more than 100 yards up a slope to defeat four enemy bunkers that had pinned down his company. He was mortally wounded in the effort.